A Way with Words Podcast
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
A Way with Words is public radio's humorous hour-long call-in show about the English language with authors and language experts Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett.
About Podcasting:
For those of you new to podcasting, Click Here to read our "Introduction to Podcasting" Article.
 Be the First to Review A Way with Words Podcast
| Podcast Feed URL: |
Podcast Website:
http://www.waywordradio.org/
Small Talk, the Word Game Minicast - 21 July 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jul 21, 2008
Puzzle Guys John Chaneski and Greg Pliska team up to make double trouble for Martha and Grant. The four divide into teams, and the object of the game is to make your partner guess words from a list. The only catch? All of the clues have to be one syllable only. It's tougher than you think!
---
Get your language question answered on the air! Call or
write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673,
words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at
http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
 Download File - 4.9 MB
 Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Word Encounters of the First Kind - 21 July 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jul 21, 2008
[This episode first aired April 12, 2008.]
There's a frisson you get when you meet a word for the first time--feeling pleasantly stumped in between wondering, 'What the heck does that mean?' and hurrying off to find out. Martha and Grant talk about some terms that had just that effect on them: 'ucalegon' and 'cacoethes scribendi.'
A recent college graduate from Portland, Oregon, calls to ask about a term popular on her campus. She and her classmates use 'sketchy' to mean 'creepy, shady, possibly dangerous,' as in 'a sketchy part of town' or 'that sketchy guy over there.' Grant and Martha discuss this term and how it lends itself to such variations as 'Sketchyville' and 'Sketchy McSketcherson.'
In San Diego, a man says increasingly he hears the phrase 'down the pike' at work but suspects it was originally 'down the pipe.'
Martha discusses another word she happily tripped over in the dictionary: 'spanghew.'
Quiz Guy John Chaneski tries to stump the hosts with a puzzle called 'Cryptic Crosswords.' How about this one: 'Do-re-mi-fa follower + sneaker feature = comfort.'?
Why are cave explorers called 'spelunkers'? How do you pronounce the word? A naturalist at Mystery Cave in Minnesota wants to know and in return she tells us how to 'tell a stalactite from a stalagmite.'
A listener from Texas heard an NPR report from Asia in which an interpreter translated a speaker's words into English as 'a whole new ball game.' He wants to know if that's a literal translation from an Asian language, and if so, is it a reference to baseball or some other sport?
Grant shares a strange word from the fringes of English: 'mofussil.'
This week's 'Slang This!' contestant is asked to guess the meanings of the slang terms 'gauge' and 'head-up.'
A California caller is curious about the words 'Shia' and 'Shiite.' Is there difference between them or are they interchangeable?
A Michigan woman working a study-abroad program at a large university is bemused by the many applicants who write that they want to study overseas so they can be 'submerged in the culture.' She thinks there's a difference between 'immersed' and 'submerged' but wants to be sure.
Are more and more people talking about 'standing behind a podium?' A San Diegan says the traditional rule has been that one stands behind a lectern and stands on a podium. Has this traditional rule changed?
---
Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 23.5 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Emoticons Minicast - 14 July 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jul 14, 2008
A listener has a question about emoticons, those little sideways symbols you type to suggest emotions in informal electronic writing. You know, like using a colon, dash, and a capital P to stick out your tongue like this :-P or using a colon, dash, and small letter d to say 'Yum!' :-d
But if you're going to toss emoticons into your prose, the caller asks, how in the world do you punctuate them?
---
Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 4.7 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Nicknames Give Me the Heebie-Jeebies and the Vapors - 14 July 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jul 14, 2008
[This episode originally aired April 5, 2008.]
Everybody has a nickname, and there's usually a story to go with it.
Martha and Grant reveal their own nicknames and the stories behind
them. Also, is the expression 'heebie-jeebies' anti-Semitic? And is
there a better word than 'retiree' for someone who moves on from a job
late in life?
Speaking of nicknames, the word 'nickname' has an
interesting etymology. It's an example of a word formed by what
linguists call 'misdivision.' More here. If you have a nickname you'd
like to share (and hey, let's keep it clean, folks!), tell us about it
in our discussion forum!
On to our callers:
A cantor from
a synagogue in Nyack, New York, says she's fond of the expression 'the
heebie-jeebies' but recently began worrying that it might be
anti-Semitic. Did the term 'heebie-jeebies' originate as a slur against
Jews? By the way, the hosts mention a cartoon with the earliest known
use of the term.
An adult caller from Phoenix is stung by the
memory of losing an elementary school spelling bee when he misspelled
the word 'dilemma.' He insists that his teachers taught him that the
word contains a silent 'n.' After all these years, he's still trying to
find out whether 'dilemna' is an acceptable spelling.
Recently
we discussed the lack of a word in English for the act of trying to do
in your offline life something you can only do on a computer, like
expecting spellcheck to kick in if you're scribbling a grocery list,
for example. The hosts share suggestions emailed by listeners. How
about 'e-flex'? Or might 'deja undo' do?
Quiz Guy John Chaneski
presents a puzzle about homophones, in this case, words that sound just
like participles that have lost their final 'g,' like 'button' and
'buttin'.' The first clue: 'Picture Vladimir Putin trying to catch a
departing bus.'
A woman and her boss want to resolve a dispute
over the words 'reoccuring' and 'recurring.' Which is correct if you're
talking about something that happens again and again? Grant explains
that there is indeed a difference between the two words--and that one
of them is almost always the right choice, particularly in the world of
business.
When a proper Southern lady fans herself and exclaims,
'I do believe I have the vapors,' what vapors is she talking about,
exactly? A caller from Austin, Texas wants to know the origin of this
term. Just how did it come to apply to a whole range of things, from
being flustered all the way to more serious maladies such as depression
and hypochondria?
A former sociology professor shares a peeve
about the language of political pundits: He's irked when they say a
candidate wants to 'replicate' or 'duplicate' his win. The professor
explains why he thinks they should eschew those words and instead opt
for 'repeat.'
Cities have nicknames as well, including 'Sacratomato' and 'Lousyville.' Do you have a better city nickname? Let's hear it.
This
week's 'Slang This!' contestant is from Esquimalt, British Columbia.
She tries to guess the meaning of the slang terms 'white hat' and
'necklace light.' And no, the latter has nothing to do with a
'Frankenstein flash.'
A husband and wife are retiring after many
years on the job. But they're keeping their options open for future
employment, and don't want to be called 'retirees.' The word 'retirees'
isn't enough to connote the more ' dynamic and open-ended' way of
living they're anticipating, nor does it take into account the
possibility that they might continue to do some kind of paying work.
How about 'rehirees'? Or...?
What's the nickname for your hometown newspaper? Do share by emailing us.
A
Kentucky listener and her husband wonder about the proper meaning of
the word 'everloving.' Sometimes they hear it used to express
frustration, as in, 'Why won't he pass the everloving basketball?', but
other times they hear it used more positively, as in, 'I just want to
get in my everloving bed and sleep!' Grant answers her everloving
question.
----
Get your language question answered on the
air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673,
words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at
http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 23.5 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Dits and Dat Minicast - 7 July 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jul 7, 2008
What's a dittler? What's a dit? A traveling preacher named Fred says he's heard these strange terms in parts of Appalachia used to refer to 'baby chicks' and 'little ducklings.' We share some of our own research about these curious terms.
--
Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 2.7 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Barbecue Stoppers and Marmalade Droppers - 7 July 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jul 7, 2008
[This episode originally aired March 15, 2008.]
Unless you've been hiding out in a galaxy far, far away, you know that this is an election year. Grant and Martha talk about current political slang. Ever hear of 'glass pockets'? Or 'horseracism'? Is there an etymological connection between 'caucus' and 'Caucasian'?
A caller wants to settle a friendly argument: Is something not worth debating called a 'moot point' or a 'mute point'?
A listener calls from in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to say that in her native Spanish, she can use several different words for 'love' to denote a whole range of feelings, depending on how close she is to the other person. She's frustrated that English seems to lack that same spectrum of words meaning various degrees of love.
What's a 'barbecue stopper,' and how does it differ from a 'marmalade dropper'?
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water--Quiz Guy John Chaneski presents a quiz about punny taglines from famous movies. For example, which Johnny Depp film's tagline is 'His story will touch you, even though he can't'?
Back to political talk: Is there an etymological connection between the words 'caucus' and 'Caucasian'? A caller wants to know. Grant explains what politicians and watchdog groups mean by the term 'glass pockets.'
A California man complains that the expression 'grow your business' grates on his nerves.
A San Diego woman who's homeschooling her children wonders if there's a formula that explains why nouns like 'teacher' and 'writer' end in '-er,' while others, like 'professor' and 'conductor,' end in '-or.' She suspects it has to do with whether the words come from Latin roots or Anglo-Saxon roots.
This week's 'Slang This!' contestant shares his favorite slang term, 'teho,' (To Each His Own), then tries to puzzle out the meaning of the terms 'karzy' and 'low-bush moose.'
An upstate New York listener of Italian descent is curious about two favorite expressions: 'fuggeddabouddit' and 'bada-bing, bada-boom.'
A Texan says his grandmother used to refer to the thigh of a chicken as the 'second joint.' Martha and Grant discuss whether it's a regional term. By the way, if you want to know the French term Martha mentions that roughly translates as 'only a silly person won't eat it,' (literally, 'the idiot leaves it') it's 'le sot-l'y-laisse.'
--
Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 23.5 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Do Singers Have Accents? Minicast - 30 June 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jun 30, 2008
You've heard this happen: A singer belts out a song, and then afterward, she starts talking and you're startled to hear what sounds like a completely different accent. What is it about singing that seems to change some people's accents? A caller from Indianapolis wants to know.
--
Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 4.3 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Paper to Pixels, Pages to Screens - 30 June 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jun 30, 2008
[This episode first aired March 8, 2008.]
You've just read a terrific paperback novel. Would you feel any
differently about it if you'd the same words on the glowing screen of
an electronic book? Martha and Grant discuss the social and
psychological implications of books that run on batteries.
A
caller remembers an odd phrase from her childhood. If she asked too
many questions, her mother would brush them off with the phrase 'layers
for meddlers and crutches for lame ducks.' Say what?
A Milwaukee
listener is curious about an expression he uses to describe underlings
who can't seem to do something right: 'You give 'em books, and all they
do is eat the covers!'
Martha and Grant discuss the rise of the Great Japanese cell-phone novel.
Quiz
Guy John Chaneski presents the hosts with a wacky puzzle based on
two-word phrases containing the sounds 'oo oo,' 'ee ee,' and 'aa aa.'
As you might expect, animal hilarity ensues.
A retired theater
professor wants to know why she keeps hearing the word 'dramaturge'
used in surprising new ways. Is 'dramaturged' now a legitimate verb?
Can the noun also refer to someone who adapts a play for particular
production--and not just to the person who originally wrote it?
A
caller from Down Under phones to say he's annoyed when honorees declare
they're 'humbled' by this or that award. He thinks it's not only
illogical, but smacks of insincerity.
A fair-haired listener has
been puzzled by the origin of a word she's heard all her life:
'Tow-headed.' And no, it has nothing to do with the digits on one's
feet.
This week's 'Slang This!' contestant, John Schwaller,
president of the State University of New York at Potsdam, ponders the
possible meanings of the terms 'donk' and 'Baltimore wrench.' He offers
his own favorite slang term, 'snow snake.'
A Washington, D.C.
caller wonders whether there's a difference between the words 'grey'
and 'gray.' Do they designate exactly the same thing? Why are they
spelled differently.
A California man says his mother used to
respond to his inquiries about what they were going to do by telling
him playfully, 'We're going to Buxtehude!' Decades later, he wonders
whether there really is a place called Buxtehude, or where in the world
she got that phrase.
Grant shares his thoughts about the future
of electronic books, and whether dog-eared pages with scribbles in the
margins will one day go the way of the papyrus roll.
--
Get
your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a
day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit
our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org.
Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 23.5 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
My Brilliant Careen Minicast- 23 June 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jun 23, 2008
A New York City listener says he's reading lots of thrillers this summer. But a couple of words keep tripping him up. Does a speeding car careen or career? The hosts spell out the differences, and throw in the origin of the word carom for good measure.
---
Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 3.5 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Celebrate National Grammar Day - 23 June 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jun 23, 2008
[This episode originally aired March 3, 2008.]
Do you know where your participle is dangling? Martha and Grant salute National Grammar Day.
Also,
when you're scribbling on a piece of paper, do you find yourself
expecting spellcheck to kick in and underline your misspellings with
squiggly red lines? A caller wants a term for the act of trying to do
offline what can only be done online.
Let's see...there's
National Cheese Day on January 20 and of course National Iguana
Awareness Day on September 8. So it's only fitting that good grammar
should get a day of its own, too. National Grammar Day has been
proclaimed for March 4 by the the Society for the Promotion of Good
Grammar, an organization for those 'who crave good, clean
English--sentences cast well and punctuated correctly.' The group's
site, sums it up this way: 'It's about clarity.'
Martha and
Grant are down with that. So here's to National Grammar Day and also to
the wise cautionary note sounded by <i>Baltimore Sun</i>
copy editor John McIntyre about the danger of getting too curmudegonly
about it all.
A woman calls on behalf of her 12-year-old son,
who wants to know the origin of the term 'booby trap.' No, the hosts
explain, the answer has nothing to do with brassieres.
A
Wisconsin resident gets misty-eyed remembering the steaming plates of
Beef Manhattan and Turkey Manhattan from his elementary-school days in
central Indiana. But why the 'Manhattan' in their names? How far back
to do you remember eating it? Let us know.
An equestrian wonders about the origin of the expression 'lock, stock, and barrel.'
Quiz Guy John Chaneski presents a word puzzle about snowclones, linguists' joking term for twists on formulaic expressions.
Have
you ever done something you regretted, and instinctively reached for
the 'undo' function, despite being nowhere near a computer? Maybe a
page in your book accidentally turns and you reach for the browser's
back button? A Hoosier seeks a term for the act of trying to do offline
what can only be done online. Post your suggestions in the forum.
The
election's still months away, but a caller in Okinawa, Japan wonders
how the husband of a female U.S. president should be addressed if the
husband himself is a former president. The hosts rule out 'First
Laddie.'
A caller wants to know the origin of the word 'piker,' as in a 'parsimonious person.'
A
few episodes ago, Martha and Grant asked listeners for variations on
the road-trip game of padiddle and boy, did they oblige. For starters,
how about all these names for the tail-light version of padiddle?
Padunkle, padonkle, perdunkle, pasquaddle, paduchi, Popeye, and
dinklepink. Personally, we can't wait for the next time we're out on
the road at night.
This week's 'Slang This!' contestant tries to guess the meaning of the slang terms 'goat's mouth' and 'happy sack.'
A caller wants to know which is correct: 'pleaded' or 'pled'?
An
Indianapolis listener who lives on same street where James Whitcomb
Riley made his home wonders if the poet's name has anything to do with
the expression associated with living in high style, 'the life of
Riley.' Click on the 'lyrics' button on this transcription from a piano
roll to see the full words to the song.
A California caller gets a clarification about when to use 'a' and 'an' if the next word starts with a vowel sound.
----
Get
your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a
day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit
our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org.
Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 23.5 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
How to Address an Envelope to a Married Couple Minicast - 16 June 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jun 16, 2008
GMT 04:02:00,
A San Diego woman is bothered by the convention of addressing envelopes to Mr. and Mrs. John Smith. Shouldn't we also include the woman's first name? For her, it's more than just a theoretical question: she spends a lot of time sending thank-you letters for nonprofit fundraising. So she's wondering, what's the best way to address them so as not to offend potential donors? Her question provokes a lively exchange about grammar, etiquette, and feminism.
...
Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAYĆ¢WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 4.5 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Cruciverbalists Play Across and Down - 16 June 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jun 16, 2008
[This episode first aired February 23, 2008.]
Sharpen those pencils! Martha and Grant are doing crossword puzzles on
the air again, preparing for their appearance with NPR Puzzlemaster
Will Shortz at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in New York
City.
http://www.crosswordtournament.com/
An
Atlanta native wants to know why she and her fellow Southerners grew up
using the word 'plum,' as in 'plum tuckered out.' Martha explains the
connection between that kind of 'plum' and 'plumbers.'
Which is the correct form: 'driver license,' 'drivers' license,' or 'driver's license'?
An Austin teenager wants to know why we refer to a girl who behaves boyishly as a 'tomboy.'
This
week's 'Slang This!' contestant tries to guess the meaning of the terms
'beano' (no, not the anti-gas treatment) and 'macing' (no, not the
stinging defensive spray).
A teacher discusses whether the
correct form is 'feel bad' or 'feel badly.' By the way, the Latin
proverb Martha mentions here is, 'Qui docet, discet.'
Why do we use a capital letter 'I' for the first person singular pronoun, but don't capitalize any other pronouns?
A
caller from Maine says she was taught to say 'bunny, bunny' at the
first of each month for good luck. Then she met someone who says
'rabbit, rabbit' for the same reason. What's the superstition behind
these lagomorphic locutions?
In honor of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, Quiz Guy John Chaneski presents a puzzle about--what else?--crossed words.
A caller wants to know why those deep-fried balls of cornmeal and spices are called 'hush puppies.'
An
ESL teacher puzzles over how to explain to his students the proper
pronunciation of the word 'route.' He asks whether the pronunciation
'root' has been 'routed' by 'rowt.'
A caller is curious about an
expression her father liked to use 'off in the giggleweeds.' What's a
giggleweed? And no, he didn't mean marijuana.
More next week. Notice how we didn't say, 'Well, weed better be going'?
----
Get
your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a
day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit
our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org.
Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 23.5 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Careful with That Teakettle Minicast! - 9 June 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jun 9, 2008
A caller who grew up in New Jersey remembers hearing a neighbor use the expression 'Hak mir nisht ken tshaynik' whenever she wanted to shush someone. He's sure the phrase is Yiddish, but he's never been able to figure out the literal meaning. Grant solves the mystery for him. Hint: It has to do with teakettles.
By the way, you'll find more details about this colorful expression in Michael Wex's book 'Born to Kvetch' here:
http://www.the-yiddish-world-of-michael-wex.com/born-to-kvetch-ch-2.html
--
Get your language question answered on the air! Call
or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673,
words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at
http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 3.7 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Expresso Dating and Dying Tongues - 9 June 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jun 9, 2008
[This episode originally aired February 16, 2008.]
There are nearly 7,000 languages in the world today, and by some
estimates, they're dying off at the rate of one every week. What's lost
when a language dies? Martha and Grant discuss that question and
efforts to record some endangered languages before they die out
completely.
A caller named Holly confesses that there's a word
that practically makes her break out in hives every time she hears it.
Grant assures her she's not alone in her aversion to the word--Holly,
cover your eyes--'moist.' Grant and Martha discuss the psychological
aversion some people have to certain common terms.
Is there a word that makes you shudder in disgust? Unload in our discussion forum.
An
Indianapolis woman calls to say she a great first date with a doctor,
but was horrified to hear him suggest they meet at an 'expresso' shop.
She asks for dating advice: Should she correct the guy, keep quiet
about this mispronunciation, or just hope he never orders espresso
again? Would you go out on a second date with someone who orders a cup
of 'EX-presso'?
A California man says that he thinks he is
increasingly hearing locutions like '50 is the new 30' and 'pink is the
new black' and 'blogs are the new resume.' He's curious about the
origin of this 'X is the new Y' formula.
You may recall
earnestly singing 'Kumbaya' around a campfire. But a caller observes
that the title of this folk song has taken on a new, more negative
meaning. Grant and Martha discuss the new connotations of 'Kumbaya,'
especially as used in politically conservative circles.
Puzzle
Guy Greg Pliska presents a puzzle about William Snakespeare--you know,
the great playwright whose works are just one letter different from
those of his better-known fellow writer, William Shakespeare. It was
Snakespeare, for example, who wrote that gripping prison drama, 'Romeo
and Joliet.'
Grant talks about a Jack Hitt article on dying
languages in the New York Times, which points out that sometimes 'the
last living speaker' of a language...isn't.
A caller named Brian
wonders whether a co-worker was right to correct him for saying that
something minor was 'of tertiary concern.' Does 'tertiary' literally
mean 'third,' or can it be used to mean more generally 'peripheral' or
'not so important'?
A Milwaukee man is mystified about the use of the word 'nee' in his grandmother's obituary.
A 'Slang This!' contestant guesses at the meaning of the slang terms 'faux po' and 'pole tax.'
A
caller is curious about the colloquial expression 'it has a catch in
its getalong.' She used it to describe the family's faulty car. Her
husband complained the phrase was too imprecise. Grant and Martha
discuss this and similar expressions, like 'hitch in its getalong' and
'hitch in its giddyup.'
A California caller is puzzling over the
expression 'have your cake and eat it, too.' Shouldn't it be 'eat your
cake and have it, too'?
Grant tells the story of Eliezer Ben
Yehuda, who revived the use of Hebrew outside of religious contexts. In
1850, no one spoke Hebrew as an everyday language; now it's spoken by
more than 5 million.
That's all until next week! May your getalong keep getting along.
---
Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours
a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit
our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org.
Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 23.5 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
The Word Candidate Minicast - 2 June 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jun 2, 2008
[This is the first of our 2008 summer minicasts, offered only online.]
We hear a lot about political candidates these days. But did you ever stop to think about where the word 'candidate' comes from? Martha says it goes back to an ancient Roman fashion statement. She also explains the etymology of the term for what drives so many candidates: 'ambition.'
--
Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 1.7 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
An Estival Festival of Summer Minicasts - 2 June 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jun 2, 2008
This week we announce our 2008 summer minicasts, offered only online. It's what we're calling an 'estival festival.'
--
Get your language question answered on the air! Call or write 24 hours a day: (877) WAY-WORD/(877) 929-9673, words@waywordradio.org, or visit our web site and discussion forums at http://waywordradio.org. Copyright 2008, Wayword LLC.
Download File - 1.7 MB
Listen To This Podcast (Streaming Audio)
Squeejawed Red-heads and Grockles - 2 June 2008
words@waywordradio.org
Author: Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett
Mon, Jun 2, 2008
[This episode originally aired February 9th and 10th, 2008]
In this week's episode: Just how far back could you go and still
understand the English people were speaking? We crank up our trusty
time machine to find out. Hint: You'd probably have a tough time
getting around in the eighth century, when English poetry looked like:
'Hwaet we gardena in geardagum...'
Speaking of the more recent
past: When you played hide-and-seek as a child, did you yell 'Ollie,
Ollie Oxen Free'? Or 'Ally Ally in Free'? Or maybe 'Ally Ally U |